The Transition From One Child to Two

You hear it a lot: when a mother of one becomes pregnant with her second child, often her biggest fear is how will she possibly have enough love for both her children? For me, this was never a question of doubt. I knew I had more than enough love to give two children. Instead, I worried about how I was going to manage a newborn baby and a toddler at the same time. I touched on it briefly in this post, but Sully was a pretty high maintenance baby, requiring me to hold him for pretty much the first year of his life. Of course, as he became more mobile, he tolerated being put down, but the only way I could get him to nap was by holding him or driving around in my car. So in my mind, as I was preparing for baby #2 to come along, I envisioned a second child requiring just as much of my undivided attention and both of my hands. And all I could think of was "HOW?!" How will I cope both physically and mentally with a needy newborn and a demanding toddler?

So that was my biggest fear. We only know what we know, and so for me, I assumed my second baby would be just like my first.

{elephant pyjamas c/o Finn + Emma}

Then Emmy was born. And from that very first day, I knew she was different than her brother. She was quiet and calm, only becoming fussy when she was hungry. I don't think we heard her actually cry until a few weeks after she came home. She literally, ate, pooped and slept. I think of all the times, during Sully's first year of life, where I would hear other mother's bragging about the 3+ hour naps their newborns would take (NOT in their arms) and I would be torn between feeling absolutely jealous and thinking they were big fat liars. I couldn't even fathom what that would be like it was so far from my reality.

I don't for a second regret all those hundreds of hours I spent holding him. Those are some of the best memories I have. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't, at the time, also resent all those "lost" hours. Hours I felt I should be doing something more important - like cleaning, or laundry, or showering, or making dinner. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and I realize now that there was nothing more important at the time and I wouldn't trade those hours spent snuggling my son for anything.

Emmy on the other hand, has been a great sleeper since day one. She still sleeps a great deal, both in my arms when I'm able to hold her, or in one of the many baby seats/swings we have around the house. She's pretty content all of the time, and when she isn't, it doesn't take much to soothe her. She loves being in the car and I can take her places knowing she will most likely sleep through it all. She has made the transition from one child to two, incredibly easy for me.

Of course, my transition wasn't the only one in question here. The transition for Sully from only child to older brother was tough at first. I wasn't naive about it, I knew to expect "the worst" and that jealously and an increase in temper tantrums would most likely ensue, but I think a big part of me hoped he would welcome his sister with open arms and that her sudden presence in our family wouldn't be an issue.

When Sully first came to visit us in the hospital after Emmy was born, he was pretty smitten with her, which made me think that he truly was going to be okay with not being the only child. But then we came home and I realized just how much this was going to rock his world. The first two weeks were the toughest and thankfully Jim was home during that time with us. There was a lot of crying, from both Sully and myself, a lot of meltdowns over absolutely nothing, and a lot of jealousy. For those first two weeks, the first thing Sully would say to me when I came downstairs with the baby was "Put the baby in daddy's hands!". I did my best to give Sully one on one time with just me, without the distraction of a nursing baby, and I made sure to do my best at keeping some of his routines intact, such as his bedtime one.

{elephant safari pyjamas c/o Finn + Emma}

Thankfully, all transitions are temporary. Navigating your new role in a new family dynamic is tough, especially for an almost three year old who is still learning how to express his feelings. I can honestly say now though, that Sully adores his baby sister and rarely shows any jealousy. He hugs and kisses her all the time, asks where she is if she's in another room sleeping, tends to her if she's crying (gives her her soother back), asks to hold her and has even given her a bottle. The incredible, overwhelming feeling of love I get when I see how much he loves her is hard to explain. It's pure and honest, as only a three year old knows, and I couldn't love my children anymore if I tried.

And as much as I often wish I could freeze time in these early, tender years, I'm also excited to watch these two grow up together and hopefully become the best of friends. This is only the beginning. And who says you can't dress your son and daughter in matching clothes? ;) It will be a sad day when I have to pack up these super soft, organic cotton pyjamas from Finn + Emma.


Parents - how was your transition from one child to two (or more)? 

Was it easier or harder than you expected?

*Elephant Safari Pajamas c/o Finn + Emma, but as always, all thoughts and reviews expressed are my own. 

Thank you for supporting the companies that continue to make this hobby of mine possible!

Currently // March

Well, February sure flew by in a flash, didn't it? February was a busy month for us, we had my sister visiting for a week (so much fun!), and we celebrated Sully's third birthday! I'm always a little happy to see January and February go though as it means we are that much closer to spring! Anyway, here's a little look at what I've been up to currently.

Thinking About: How amazing the human body is. As of today, I am 9 weeks postpartum, and 9 weeks post c-section. I have a post in the works talking about mind and body at this point after delivery, so it's been on my mind a lot. Up until about 7 weeks postpartum, I was still having quite a bit of weird discomfort in my belly in the area above my c-section incision and it was still very numb feeling. It's so hard to describe, but it wasn't always pleasant. Every day I would think, "Did I pull something? Am I ever going to feel better?" and then boom! I woke up one morning and there was no more pain, no more pulling, no more weird numbness. And that's when I finally started to feel "whole" again and more like my old self. This is also when I was like "ok, I'm ready to be cleared for exercise, I'm ready to move and workout!", something I definitely did not think in those first few weeks of recovery.

Reading: February was a slow reading month. I haven't been making the time for it in the evenings like I usually do, instead I've been interneting (totally a word) into the wee hours of the night because sometimes (especially during nursing sessions), interneting is just so much easier. I still have Faithful by Alice Hoffman checked out from the library that I need to read so I plan to devote some time to getting into it (I literally read the first two pages last week before shutting it and picking up my phone instead).

Listening To: Sully is showing way more interest in music lately than he ever has in the past. He asks me what every song is called that we are listening to and if he doesn't like the title I give him, he tells me what he thinks the title should be, (he calls the song 'Home' by Blue October, 'Dancing in the Kitchen', because that's a lyric from it).  It's pretty cute. I also have noticed that he is picking up song lyrics now so I have to watch what comes on the playlist. Anyway, all that being said, I haven't actually been listening to anything new. His most requested song of all time is Carol of the Bells by the Piano Guys. Yes, we are still listening to Christmas music over here, but I'm not complaining - this instrumental song is beautiful and The Piano Guys are so talented. Plus, Sully likes to imitate playing the cello when listening to this song and it's the cutest thing ever.

Watching: I've been working my way through the Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix (3 episodes left!) and really enjoying it. Have you watched it? I adore Drew Barrymore. This show is a little gruesome, but that kind of thing never bothered me, plus since it's a dark comedy, I don't take the gross scenes too seriously. Highly recommend it though! Otherwise, I'm still watching the same old stuff...Gilmore Girls, Riverdale (a few episodes behind), This Is Us (also a few episodes behind), and Love Sick (another Netflix original I highly recommend!).

Eating: I'm trying to clean up my diet in efforts to start living a more healthier lifestyle. When I'm pregnant and/or breastfeeding, I really start to let myself eat whatever I want, using those two things as an excuse. But even though breastfeeding burns extra calories, does not in fact give me the right to eat extra calories worth of junk (which I've been doing). I really have no will power when it comes to sweets in the house, so I told Jim he's going to start having to satisfy his sweet tooth at work as I am not bringing them into the house anymore. I've also noticed that I can go all morning without eating anything, sometimes as late as 2 p.m. before I even realize that all I've had is coffee. BAD! Not eating is not doing me any favours. So, needless to say, I've got some work to do in my diet.

Wearing: A mishmash of old clothes and maternity clothes (because ruching is a postpartum mom's best friend). Seriously though, my closet is the most depressing room in my house. Last night, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the VIP event for the brand new Women's Sport Chek at Chinook Centre that opens today (more on that tomorrow!), and I think I spent a good hour trying to figure out what to wear to it. Nothing fit how I wanted it to. My closet needs a serious overhaul.

Laughing About: This Buzzfeed post sharing 100 parenting memes. You guys, this is the funniest thing I've read all week because it's so, so true. I screen capped so many of them to text Jim throughout the day. One of my favs because this is my life 100% and why I go to bed at ungodly hours:

Looking Forward To: This weekend! It's jam packed full of fun workouts and dinner with friends. On Saturday, I'll be trying out another Boxing class with the Blog Squad and then a bunch of us will be going out for dinner to say goodbye to our good friend Jen, who will be leaving us for a year as her and her husband travel the world! Amazing, right?! And then on Sunday, we'll be hitting up a private Barre class (Emmy's coming with!), and then some of us will be heading over to Chinook Centre to take a fitness class offered by Sport Chek Women in celebration of their grand opening. It's going to be busy and tiring, but worth it!


Over to you! 

Tell me something you're looking forward to! 

Current favourite song? TV show?


*Linking up with Kristen & Gretchen for What's New With You? 

Box it Out at UNDRCARD

Last week, I made my official return to the world of fitness since having a baby, by hitting up a boxing class with the Blog Squad. Go hard or stay home, right? Last Thursday night, we found ourselves at the coolest studio I've ever been to, wrapping our hands in anticipation for what promises to be a kick-ass workout, in a "fight club meets night club" atmosphere.

UNDRCARD Boxing Studio is Calgary's premier boxing studio which combines actual boxing technique with a night club atmosphere. From the moment you step inside their doors, you feel pretty bad-ass. The check-in counter is bright and boasts a monochrome wall of boxing gloves. Head in and around the corner is a full-fledged boxing ring. Further on down, there are complimentary lockers and fully stocked change rooms. There's also a coffee, juice and food bar, plus a little corner store where you can purchase all the latest boxing culture gear.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect and to say I was intimated beforehand is an understatement. Thankfully, the boxing class truly is like a nightclub: lights are kept low and the music is pumping and LOUD. I mean, I haven't been to a nightclub in ages, but I'm pretty sure this is still what they're like, right?

Our instructor was awesome, more than welcoming and never made us feel out of place. While I found it difficult at times to see her from where I was standing, she did move around to show us the combos and made the rounds to help us out a bit. I've taken my share of aerobic style kick-boxing classes, but I've never truly "boxed".

We started the class with just our hand wraps on, moving through a warm-up and practicing our jabs and undercuts. Then the gloves go on and you get to work on your bag. Each punch is given a number so that as the class progresses, the instructor calls out numerical combos. This was tough and takes some brain power. All that memorization from dance classes from my youth definitely helped, but I still got lost a few times. The first class of anything new is always the hardest though! I can only imagine that after another class or two, the moves and combos would come to you much more quickly. UNDRCARD also offers a 30 minute Boxing 101 class for anyone new to boxing or wanting to focus on the basics.

But hitting and punching your bag? Even if you make up your own combo routine? What a release. There's no denying that exercise makes you feel better, but there's something to be said for letting it all out on your punching bag. And boxing is one of those sports where you get out of it what you put into it. The harder you throw those punches, the more you are going to feel it. And let me tell you, punching that bag and pretending you know what you're doing, that feels pretty darn bad-ass. 

For the most part, I gave it my all in that class. It feels good to hit things! Since I'm 8 weeks postpartum and had a c-section, I did sit the ab portion out, except for the planks and v-sits. I was so sure I was going to wake up the next day incredibly sore and unable to move my arms, but surprisingly, I felt really good! I was comfortably sore, but not in any pain.

Here's some things you should know before you go to a class at UNDRCARD: You have to buy your own wraps ($8) for sanitary reasons, but you can reuse them over and over. Boxing gloves are provided though. You can leave your wedding rings on because there's enough space between your knuckles and the gloves to protect them. Bring a water bottle and wear running shoes (although you can go barefoot, but I wouldn't recommend it). Arrive 30 minutes early. This gives you time to lock up your stuff, fill out your waiver and wrap your hands. Don't be scared! I know I was, but honestly, everyone was super friendly and inviting. When you're signing in, pick a bag (they're all numbered) closer to the middle of the room, right in front of the instructor. Here's some more tips to ease your mind.

Prices:

Drop-in: $24

10-Class Pass: $199

20-Class Pass: $379

Monthly Membership: $209

{Blog Squad: Jen//Me//Ange//Laura//Jen}

If you've never taken a boxing class before, I cannot recommend it enough. You owe it to yourself to go beat up on a punching bag at least once. Your body and mind will thank you for it. I promise, it's the most bad-ass you will feel in a long time!

*Photos c/o Ange & Laura

A big thank you to UNDRCARD for inviting the Blog Squad to try out a class in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever boxed? Would you?

What's the most intimidating fitness class you've ever taken?